Disney may have had problems finding its cast for the live-action remake of Aladdin, but it appears as though they’ve found their solution. According to Variety, the studio announced their three lead actors at the D23 Expo on Saturday, July 14th: Mena Massoud will play the title role, Will Smith will be taking on the Genie, and actress Naomi Scott will play the role of Princess Jasmine.
While Smith has been one of the biggest movie stars of the past twenty years, Massoud and Scott are relative newcomers to the Disney limelight. To learn more about the latter, a multi-talented performer hailing from England, here are five fast facts you need to know about Naomi Scott.
1. She Began Singing As a Teenager & Has Released 2 EP’s
Scott began her singing career at a young age, performing with the Bridge Church Youth Band, as well as musicals and dramas at the Davenant Foundation School in England. Her first taste of the limelight came soon after, when she was discovered by pop singer Kelle Bryan. Bryan signed Scott to a record deal, where she worked with the songwriting and production team Xenomania.
It was here, according to her Facebook bio, that Miranda Cooper and Brian Higgins help “Naomi cut her teeth and learn the art of ‘pop songwriting’.” She later released her debut single “Motions” in 2014, followed by the EP Invisible Division.
“I’m independent, so I basically do everything myself,” Scott said in an interview with Metro, “I get to be in completely creative control. Music is my first love; it’s something I want to give the time to grow organically. I want to do it right and do it properly.” She released her second EP, Promises, in 2016.
In an interview with HypeBae in 2017, Scott elaborated on the importance of music in her life: “There has always been a connection between my faith, and realizing that music can have a soul and purpose, which has ultimately affected the way I approach the art. Listening to soulful vocalists like Mary Mary and Kim Burrell; playing the piano, and leading worship has directly shaping (sic) my artistry.”
2. She Made Her Acting Debut in the Disney Channel Series ‘Life Bites’
Scott broke into acting in 2008 when she was cast in the Disney Channel UK series Life Bites(2008-09). The series followed the adventures of two siblings who encounter the usual comedy hijinx alongside their family and Scott’s character, Megan. Life Bites ran for two seasons in total, including a Halloween special and a Christmas special.
The exposure earned Scott a supporting role on the science-fictions series Terra Nova, which premiered on Fox in 2014 and was executive produced by Steven Spielberg. Unlike Life Bites, however, Terra Nova was cancelled after its first season.
Scott has continued to act on television in recent years, appearing on an episode of By Any Means (2013) and the ITV mystery series Lewis (2008-15), while also translating her talents to film. She made her big screen debut in the drama The 33 (2015) opposite Antonio Banderas and Rodrigo Santoro. She also filmed scenes for the science fiction thriller The Martian in 2015, but they were removed from the final cut.
3. She Married English Footballer Jordan Spence in 2014
Scott and footballer Jordan Spence got married in 2014 after four years of dating. Spence, a former West Ham United player and England youth international, currently plays for Ipswich Town. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Scott spoke about her relationship with her athlete husband.
He plays for a football team called Ipswich Town, and I feel I was kind of representing him the other day because we had to throw the first pitch, but it was like the three Power Rangers who weren’t American: it was the Aussie, the Chinese and the English. I walked out and some guy who was trying to be sweet was saying ‘you’ll be fine, it’s really cute’. I said ‘what’s cute?’ And he said ‘you know, when girls throw, they throw underarm’, and I was like ‘listen up, I’m going to throw it overarm, and get it to the (catcher).
This past May, the couple celebrated each other’s birthdays on social media. Spence tweeted out a photo of him and Scott on May 6th with the caption : “@NaomiScott, love you more than you know, so blessed to be able to do life with you. Happy Birthday beautiful!”
The actress returned the sentiment on May 24th, posting a photo on her Facebook and writing “Happy Birthday Jordan Spence my BFF. You’re also really hot, really clever and smell nice….basically all the things I look for in a husband.”
4. She Played Kimberly/Pink Ranger in the ‘Power Rangers’ Reboot
“It’s an origin story, and it’s character driven. And it has to be about these characters, because everyone has to care about these characters,” she said. “That was something that I really wanted to be a part of. Kimberly is not just a stereotypical cheerleader; she’s really smart, and she’s mature and imperfect and I like that.”
Scott also spoke on the importance that the role had on young girls. “When I was growing, probably part of the reason I played Power Rangers was the fact there was a girl in it. Hopefully for girls now, it won’t have to be a conversation. It’s just like, ‘Yeah, cool. I can be a superhero.’ It’s about all of us, and it’s not gender, so hopefully that’s what the [sic] message the movie portrays.”
Power Rangers only grossed $140 million on a $100 million budget, with criticism going towards its uneven tone and unfaithfulness to its source material. That being said, CinemaBlend reported that the film performed much better on home release, and could renew interest in a possible sequel.
5. Her Ethnicity Has Sparked Debate About Her Casting As Jasmine
Scott’s casting as Princess Jasmine has provoked divisive reactions from fans online. There are those who think she is a perfect choice to bring the character to life and put a modern spin on her, as evidenced by her Power Rangers co-star RJ Cyler, who tweeted out “Congratulations Big Sis!!”
But a sore point for many is the fact that Scott is British and Indian, and not Middle Eastern like the character. “i love naomi scott but i don’t love the “brown ppl are interchangeable” idea that hollywood believes in so it’s a no from me lmao,” wrote one user.
Another tweeted “All these Arab actresses on the planet and they cast half-white, half-Indian Naomi Scott as Jasmine. Indian isn’t middle-eastern, Hollywood.” Check out some of the most notable reactions below.
All these Arab actresses on the planet and they cast half-white, half-Indian Naomi Scott as Jasmine. Indian isn't middle-eastern, Hollywood.
Disney’s Descendants returns to television tonight with Descendants 2, which picks up after the events of the first hit 2015 TV movie. The franchise gathers the children of heroes and villains from the classic Disney movies and sends them on their own adventures. The film will debuts at 8:00 p.m. ET on Friday, July 21 on six networks – ABC, Freeform, Disney Channel, Disney XD, Lifetime and Lifetime Movies. Read on to meet the main cast and check out the trailer.
The first film introduced viewers to the world of Auradon, where Ben, the son of King Adam and Queen Belle (a.k.a. Beauty and the Beast), is about to take the throne. Ben decides to give four kids the opportunity to live in Auradon. But they aren’t just any kids – they are the children of Cruella De Vil, Jafar, Snow White‘s Evil Queen and Maleficent.
In the sequel, King Ben is still hoping the quartet will adjust to life in Audaron, but it hasn’t been easy. Maleficent’s daughter also returns to the Isle of the Lost, where she learns that Ursula’s daughter, Captain Hook’s son and Gaston’s son have taken over.
Descendants 2 was written by Josann McGibbson and Sara Parriott and directed by Kenny Ortega, the same team who worked on the first film.
Now it’s time to meet the main cast!
Dove Cameron as Mal, the daughter of Maleficent
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Disney Channel/Bob D’AmicoDove Cameron.
Live and Maddie star Dove Cameron returns to play Mal, the daughter of Sleeping Beauty villain Maleficent. She also starred in NBC’s Hairspray Live! as Amber Von Tussle. She also voiced Mal for the Descendants: Wicked World animated series. In 2015, she starred in R.L. Stine’s Monsterville: The Cabinet of Souls.
Cameron Boyce as Carlos de Vil, the son of Cruella de Vil
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Disney Channel/Bob D’AmicoCameron Boyce.
Cameron Boyce is another longtime Disney star, having played Luke Ross in Jessie from 2011 to 2015. In the Descendants franchise, he plays Carlos, the son of The One Hundred And One Dalmatians‘ Cruella De Vil. Boyce’s other credits include Mirrors, Eagle Eye, Bunk’d, Austin & Ally and Grown Ups.
Booboo Stewart starred as Warpath in X-Men: Days of Future Past and Seth in the Twilight movies. In Descendants, he stars as Jay, the son of Aladdin villain Jafar. He has also appeared in episodes of Grimm, Hawaii Five-0, CSI: Cyber and Kickin’ It. He also starred in the 2015 movie He Never Died.
Sofia Carson as Evie, the daughter of The Evil Queen
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Disney Channel/Bob D’Amico Sofia Carson.
Sofia Carson stars as Evie in Descendants, playing the daughter of The Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Technically, the character’s real name is “Queen Grimhilde.” Carson also starred in Disney’s 2016 version of Adventures in Babysitting. The singer also appeared in 2016’s A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits.
China Anne McClain as Uma, the daughter of Ursula
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Disney Channel/Bob D’AmicoChina Anne McClain.
China Ann McClain joins the Descendants franchise as Uma, the daughter of The Little Mermaid‘s Ursula. Although this is her first appearance in the franchise, she should be familiar to Disney viewers as one of the stars from A.N.T. Farm. She also played Jazmine Payne in Tyler Perry’s House of Payne series. She stars in The CW’s upcoming Black Lightning.
Mitchell Hope stars as Ben, the son of Queen Belle and King Adam, better known as the heroes of Beaty and the Beast. Hope only has a few credits to his name outside of the Descendants films and animated series. He did have a small role in the 2014 mini-series Never Tear Us Apart: The Untold Story of INXS, which tells the story of the band INXS. You can follow him on Twitter.
Thomas Doherty as Harry Hook, the son of Captain Hook
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Disney Channel/Bob D’Amico Thomas Doherty.
Thomas Doherty is a newcomer. He plays Harry Hook, the son of Captain Hook. Doherty’s only other credits include a small role in a 2013 episode of Dracula and a role in Disney’s new series The Lodge, which kicked off last year. You can follow the Scottish actor on Twitter.
Brenna D’Amico as Jane, the daughter of the Fairy Godmother
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GettyBrenna D’Amico.
Brenna D’Amico stars as Jane, the daughter of the Fairy Godmother. She’s a veteran of the franchise, but hasn’t been in anything else yet. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram to follow her young career.
Dylan Playfair as Gil, the son of Gaston
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Disney Channel/Bob D’Amico Dylan Playfair.
Dylan Playfair joins the Descendants franchise to play Gil, the son of Beauty and the Beast villain Gaston. Descendants 2 will introduce Playfair to American audiences for the first time, since he’s best known for his role in Letterkenny, a Canadian sitcom. He was also seen in a three episodes of Netflix’s Haters Back Off!. He also starred in every episode of the Canadian teen comedy Some Assembly Required.
Whoopi Goldberg as Ursula
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GettyWhoopi Goldberg is the voice of Usrula.
Whoopi Goldberg took some time out of her busy schedule to voice Ursula, the villain from The Little Mermaid. She is a member of the EGOT Club, as she has an Oscar, Tony, Grammy and Emmy to her name. She’s currently a moderator on ABC’s The View, which earner her the Emmy in EGOT. In 2017, the Walt Disney Company named her a Disney Legend.
Other Air Dates
Descendants 2 is also scheduled to air on the Disney Channel at:
Friday, July 21 at 10:40 p.m. ET
Saturday, July 22 at 11:00 a.m. ET
Sunday, July 23 at 6:00 p.m. ET
Monday, July 24 at 10:00 a.m. ET
Wednesday, July 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET
Friday, July 28 at 6:00 p.m. ET
Saturday, July 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET
Thursday, August 3 at 10:00 a.m. ET
After a two-year wait, the sequel to Disney’s Descendants is finally here! Descendants 2 debuts on ABC, the Disney Channel, Disney XD, Lifetime, Lifetime Movies and Freeform. Even if you don’t have access to a television, you can still legally stream it online thanks to Disney and ABC. The film starts at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Disney’s Descendants franchise kicked off with the hit original TV movie in 2015, which was followed by a CGI animated series called Descendants: Wicked World in 2015 and 2016. The series follows the children of the heroes and villains from Disney’s animated classics who live in a country called Auradon.
Now, the characters are back in Descendants 2, with Kenny Ortega once again directing from a script by Josann McGibbon and Sara Pariott. In the new film, Ben (Mitchell Hope) is king of Audaron. Mal (Dove Cameron) decides to go back to the Isle of the Lost, where she finds Uma (China Anne McClain), the daughter of Ursula, ruling the island. Evie (Sofia Carson), Jay (Booboo Stewart) and Carlos (Carmeron Boyce) have to save Mal before it’s too late. Whoopi Goldberg also guest stars as the voice of Ursula.
Can’t get to a TV or don’t have cable? Below are your options to legally stream tonight’s show online or on your mobile device.
Descendants 2 is also scheduled to air on the Disney Channel at:
Wednesday, July 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET
Friday, July 28 at 6:00 p.m. ET
Saturday, July 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET
Thursday, August 3 at 10:00 a.m. ET
The film is also available at ABC.go.com on demand, where you need a cable or satellite subscription to watch.
ABC and the Disney Channel are available in many major U.S. markets via over-the-top streaming services, which let you to stream select channels for a monthly fee. Sling TV has the lowest price, while DirecTV Now offers ABC and the Disney Channel in more markets than Sling. Both services offer free trials, enabling you to watch tonight’s show for free.
Read on for signup details — and how to make sure ABC and the Disney Channel is available in your market before you sign up.
The Cheaper Option: Sling TV
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Disney Channel/Bob D’AmicoThomas Doherty stars as Harry, China Anne McClain as Uma and Dylan Playfair as Gil.
Viewers in certain United States TV markets can watch tonight’s show through Sling TV.
Sling’s Broadcast Extra package, which includes ABC, is available in the Chicago, Fresno-Visalia, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham and San Francisco TV markets.
Sling’s basic package costs $20 per month once the free trial ends, and the Broadcast Extra add-on, which you can add after you’ve created your account, costs an extra $5, for a total of $25. But if you’re in one of the TV markets listed above and want to watch the show for free, you can do so with the free 7-day trial.
2. Select either the Orange or Blue package. The Orange package is the cheapest at $20.
3. Enter your billing information and create an account. You will not be charged until after you’ve completed the free 7-day trial.
4. Once you’ve created your account, click on the icon next to the “sign out” button in the top-right corner of your screen. Once you’ve clicked on the icon, click the blue “change subscription” link.
5. Click on “Best of Live TV Extras,” then scroll down to the Broadcast Extra add-on and click “add.”
6. Download the Sling app on your computer or mobile device and begin watching TV. You can find the Sling app in the App store or the Google Play store. It’s also available on other streaming devices; you can go here for a full list of compatible devices.
2. Click on “Start your free trial now” and then create an account.
3. Select the channel package you want. The least expensive option, “Live a Little,” includes ABC.
4. Enter your payment information. If you cancel your subscription within seven days of signing up, you will not be charged.
5. Return to the DirecTV Now website to start watching on your desktop. You can also watch via the DirecTV Now app, which is available on various mobile or streaming devices. Go here for the complete list of compatible devices
If you missed the live airings of Descendants 2, you can watch it on demand at ABC.go.com right here and using your DirecTV account to log in.
Disney’s Descendants 2, the sequel to the hit 2015 TV movie, debuts on July 21. While you’re watching it, you might be wondering who voices Ursula, the villain from The Little Mermaid who joins the franchise. It’s Whoopi Goldberg, who became an official Disney Legend earlier this month.
The second Descendants movie introduces Uma, played by Tyler Perry’s House of Payne actress China Anne McClain. She’s the daughter of Ursula, the evil sea witch who made a bargain with Ariel in the iconic 1989 movie The Little Mermaid.
In that film, Ursula was voiced by Pat Carroll, who is a legend in her own right. She won an Emmy in 1957 for her roles on the influential sketch comedy show Caesar’s Hour and shared the Grammy for Best Recording for Children for The Little Mermaid. Carroll has continued to voice Ursula for dozens of Disney TV Shows and video games. In 2012, she voiced the character for Disney Princess: My Fairytale Adventure and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.
Goldberg’s casting in Descendants 2 was on;y announced a few days before the film’s premiere.
“It was the most fun being in a recording session with you,” director Kenny Ortega said during an appearance on The View about working with Goldberg. “You’ve always been at the top of my wish list, I’ve always wanted to work with you as an actor. It was such a joy, thank you.”
Earlier this month during Disney’s D23 convention, Goldberg joined the list of Disney Legends, a group of men and women who made a major impact on The Walt Disney Company. Goldberg’s contributions to the Disney family include hosting The View, starring in the two Sister Act films and voicing the hyena Shenzi in The Lion King.
The 61-year-old Goldberg is also a noted Disney fan herself and recently made headlines for calling on the studio to release the controversial 1946 film Song of the South on home video. The Oscar-winning film, which was Disney’s first to feature live action, has been unavailable for decades because of its depiction of the post-Civil War South.
“I’m trying to find a way to get people to start having conversations about bringing Song of the South back, so we can talk about what it was and where it came from and why it came out,” Goldberg told Yahoo Movies after her Disney Legend ceremony.
As Cartoon Brew points out, Goldberg has been successful in getting other studios to release racially insensitive material. She even recorded an introduction to Looney Tunes DVDs for Warner Bros., telling viewers that it is important to understand that the depictions are wrong, but they cannot be ignored as part of the historical record.
“Disney made you feel that no matter where you came from, you were welcome,” Goldberg said of visiting Disneyland during her Disney Legends speech.
Marty Sklar has died. The Disney Imagineer passed away at his home in California on Thursday at the age of 83. A cause of death was not immediately revealed.
Marty is survived by his wife, Leah, their son Howard, their daughter Leslie, and their grandchildren.
Here is what you need to know about the “Disney Legend”:
1. Bob Iger Released a Statement Following News of Sklar’s Passing
— The Main St. Mouse (@mainstreetmouse) July 28, 2017
“Everything about Marty was legendary – his achievements, his spirit, his career. He embodied the very best of Disney, from his bold originality to his joyful optimism and relentless drive for excellence. He was also a powerful connection to Walt himself. No one was more passionate about Disney than Marty and we’ll miss his enthusiasm, his grace, and his indomitable spirit,” said Bob Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company.
2. Sklar Started at the Bottom, Taking a Job as an Intern With the Walt Disney World Company
Sklar was known as Walt Disney’s “right hand man.” The two worked together to make Disney’s dreams come true. In his 53-year career, Sklar was credited with helping bring Disney’s visions to life. He had a hand in the design and creation of the Disney theme parks that millions of people visit each year.
Like many Disney employees, Sklar started working for the Walt Disney World Company as an intern. He went on to become the vice president of creative development, working at Epcot in Orlando, Florida. It didn’t take long for him to be given the title of executive vice president (1982) — and he continued to grow with the company in the years that followed.
Watch Sklar talk about how he got started with the Walt Disney World company in the video below.
“As vice chairman, Marty provided leadership for the Imagineering creative staff, delivering breakthrough entertainment concepts for Disney parks and resorts including Disneyland Paris, the Tokyo Disney Resort, and Hong Kong Disneyland. Imagineering is also responsible for all Disney resort hotels and the Disney Cruise Line ships, and has created concepts for restaurants, children’s museums and hospitals, traveling shows, and exhibitions.”
Fun fact about Sklar: He is the “only person to have attended the grand openings” of every Disney park.
The Disney Legends Awards is essentially like a Hall of Fame for exceptional animators, Imagineers, entertainers (including actors and songwriters), and business leaders who have made a “significant impact on the Disney legacy.”
“The Legends are chosen by a selection committee, formerly appointed and chaired by the late Roy E. Disney. Since its inception, the program has honored many gifted animators, Imagineers, songwriters, actors, and business leaders as having made a significant impact on the Disney legacy,” the D23 website explains.
Sklar was named a Disney Legend in 2001.
Other Disney Legends include Carrie Fisher, Johnny Depp, Julie Andrews, Steve Jobs, Jim Henson, Robin Williams, and Betty White.
5. Sklar Was at the D23 Expo a Couple of Weeks Ago
Although he had technically retired in 2009, he was still a big fan of the brand. Just a couple of weeks ago, Sklar attended the D23 Expo in California.
You can watch an interview with Sklar at the 2017 D23 Expo below.
After numerous whitewashing rumors and casting delays, Disney Studios has found its Jafar. The Hollywood Reporter claims that the Aladdin villain will likely be played by actor Marwan Kenzari. Reporter asserts that while an official deal has yet to be struck between Disney and Kenzari, the odds are high that he will take up the robes and the evil staff.
Kenzari, 34, has had supporting roles in a number of blockbusters over the past few years, including the remakes of Ben-Hur (2016) and The Mummy (2017). To learn more about his career, his personal life, and how fans are reacting to his being cast as Jafar, read on below.
1. He Began Acting When His Girlfriend Signed Him Up to Audition for a Play
Kenzari was born on January 16th, 1983 in the Netherlands. He is of Dutch and Tunisian descent, and he holds dual citizenship in both countries. Initially, Kenzari had no interest in becoming an actor as a teenager, and it was only through his girlfriend that he discovered his passion. According to Variety, the girl he was seeing signed the two of them up to audition for a local stage production of Chicago. Kenzari has been acting professionally ever since.
He made his screen debut in 2008 with the film Katia’s Sister (Het zusje van Katia). Other films during this time include The Last Days of Emma Blank (De laatste dagen van Emma Blank) in 2009, Rabat in 2011, and Black Out in 2012.
2. He Won a Golden Calf Award for His Breakthrough Film ‘Wolf’ in 2013
Kenzari’s breakthrough role would come in the 2013 drama Wolf. As Majid, a talented kickboxer who succumbs to the world of gambling and organized crime, Kenzari earned international praise from critics. Eye for Film wrote:
It’s a great credit to actor Marwan Kenzari that he is able to keep the audience rooting for him despite this… His performance also redefines the cliché elements of the film (trying to raise money for hospital bills, being asked to throw a fight), turning them into things that feel real and personal, part of one individual’s life.
For his performance, Kenzari was given the Golden Calf Award for Best Actor at the 2013 Netherlands Film Festival. When asked about the film’s unique premise, he told Raindance “You want to make your own. Influences, in my opinion, come in all different directions and these films are certainly one of the strong directions. [Wolf] is a Dutch story.”
3. His Career Goal is to Become ‘the New Al Pacino’
Kenzari’s career has grown since the release of Wolf and he’s successfully made the crossover into American cinema; the hub of his acting idol Al Pacino. In a 2015 interview with AD Films, Alba Theater director Saskia Mees recalls that when she met Kenzari, he had his sights set on being the best. “I want to be the new Al Pacino,” he said at the first meeting.
When told that it would take time to reach Pacino’s performing heights, Kenzari responded by saying “Then I’ll start acting [onstage] first, the movie will come later.” It appears as though this strategy has worked. Kenzari has acted in a number of Hollywood films since 2016, the most notable being Collide, Ben-Hur, The Mummy, and The Promise, which cast him opposite Oscar Isaac and Academy Award winner Christian Bale.
When discussing the acting process, Kenzari told Variety that it isn’t always easy. “I dislike the fact that being an actor can make you a bit selfish sometimes,” he says. “During a shoot, (that’s) the only thing you live for. Explaining (to friends and family) why you’re away and not responding to calls and messages can be difficult.”
4. He Will Appear in 3 Other Projects This Year
While Kenzari’s casting as Jafar has turned the most heads, it definitely isn’t the only role that he has slated for 2017. He will appear in the science fiction thriller What Happened to Monday? opposite Willem Dafoe, Glenn Close, and Noomi Rapace. The film is set for release on August 18th.
Kenzari’s most prominent role, however, is as the lead in the recently announced Netflix series The Angel. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kenzari will play Ashraf Marwan, the son-in-law of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser who spied on behalf of Israel and gained intelligence that helped to politically shape the Middle East in the 20th century. The Angel will be directed by Ariel Vromen and has yet to receive a proper release date.
5. Fans Have Praised His Casting as Jafar on Twitter
While the casting of Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine sparked some controversy due to her Indian ancestry (the character is Arabian), fans seem generally thrilled by the idea of Kenzari playing Jafar. “MARWAN KENZARI IS JAFAR?!?!” wrote one user, “GODS BE F**KING PRAISED!!! MY BAE!!! (TBF, I’d fancast him as Aladdin but I will take him being in it period).”
Another tweeted out “I don’t know who this @MarwanKenzari but had I known he was in the running, he would have def been in #MyJafar bracket. Daaaang.”
MARWAN KENZARI IS JAFAR?!?! GODS BE FUCKING PRAISED!!! MY BAE!!! (TBF, I'd fancast him as Aladdin but I will take him being in it period). https://t.co/vKzDsegenE
Others were too enamored by Kenzari’s dashing looks to assert much of an opinion. “Disney just cast this actor, Marwan Kenzari, as Jafar in the live-action Aladdin, which I…uh…that is…um…what was I saying?” wrote one user, while posting a shirtless photo of the actor.
Read some of the most eager (and excited) reactions below.
Disney just cast this actor, Marwan Kenzari, as Jafar in the live-action Aladdin, which I…uh…that is…um…what was I saying? pic.twitter.com/bVDv2JAZYs
Hurricane Irma is now a Category 5 storm moving through the Caribbean, a popular destination for cruise ships. This means that your Disney Cruise Line trip will likely be impacted. In fact, two cruises in progress have already been altered because of the storm. The upcoming cruises that begin on September 8, September 9 and September 11 have also been cancelled.
A new 2:00 p.m. AST public advisory from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Hurricane Center reports that the storm is now 180 miles east of Antigua and 185 miles east-southeast of Barbuda. It has reached maximum sustained winds of 185 mph and is moving west at 14 mph.
Thanks to the storm, two Disney Cruise Line intermediaries have been altered. According to Disney Cruise Line Blog, the four-day Bahamanian Cruise aboard the Disney Dream that began on September 4 is visiting Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, on Tuesday and will visit Nassau on Wednesday. The ship will spend a day at sea before arriving at Port Canaveral on Friday.
the DCLBlog also reports that the seven-day Western Caribbean cruise aboard the Disney Fantasy has changed its schedule. That cruise started on Saturday, September 2 at Port Canaveral. On Monday, the cruise went to Falmouth, Jamaica before heading to Grand Cayman on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Fantasy will visit Cozumel.
The Disney Cruise Line has announced what its plans are for other upcoming cruises. The latest NOAA map shows the outer bands of Irma reaching South Florida by Sunday, September 10.
The Disney Dream cruise on Friday, September 8 and Monday, September 11 have been cancelled. The Disney Fantasy cruise scheduled to begin on Saturday, September 9 has also been cancelled Here is the refund policy for these cruises:
Refunds will automatically be processed back to the original form of payment used for the cruise booking. Guests are invited to book a future cruise at a 25 percent discount by calling us at 1-855-347-2784 or 407-566-7054 from September 18, 2017, through October 18, 2017.
The safety of our Guests and Crew Members is our top priority. Our goal is to always provide a first-class vacation experience while remaining at a secure distance away from any approaching, potentially hazardous weather system. In the event severe weather poses a threat to Guests on board the ship, the itinerary may change and/or the ship may be re-routed in order to avoid the storm. Additionally, when severe weather is on the horizon, both the Disney Cruise Line website (for those with upcoming cruises) and the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app (for those on board the ship) will keep Guests up to date with the latest weather information and itinerary changes.
Hurricane Irma took a trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday night, bringing heavy rain and wind to the area. Although the amusement parks were closed on Sunday and Monday, the resort hotels provided a safe haven for vacationers and hurricane evacuees alike.
Folks staying at the Walt Disney Resort were told to hunker down and Disney enforced a curfew in order to ensure the safety of their guests. You can see a photo of Disney’s message to guests below.
Some resorts actually held hurricane parties for guests, trying to make the best of a scary situation. Where better to ride out a hurricane than the happiest place on earth? The staff is well-trained to handle these kinds of situations and to help make guests feel at ease.
Check out the video below to see the Yacht Club’s hurricane party.
Fortunately, for Disney lovers, Cinderella Castle located at the Magic Kingdom is still standing and doesn’t appear to have suffered any damage. The castle, which is the focal point of the park, was built to sustain winds up to 125 mph.
Despite the nasty weather, Disney properties did not lose power. The majority of the damage came in the form of downed trees. Crews are working diligently to access the damage, clean up, and to ensure that the parks can resume normal hours this week.
The parks will reopen tomorrow, Tuesday, September 12.
“After an initial assessment of our property, Walt Disney World’s Theme Parks and Disney Springs will reopen tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 12, with normal, advertised operating hours. Special events, such as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, will also take place. Water Parks will remain closed tomorrow and will reopen later this week,” Disney said in a statement.
Below are some photos from Walt Disney World following Hurricane Irma.
Once October 1 rolls around, people all over the country start wondering when Hocus Pocus is going to be on television. The popular Disney film, which was released in 1993, has become a Halloween staple, and people look forward to watching the Salem-Massachusetts-based tale each and every year.
According to TV Guide, there are three scheduled airings of Hocus Pocus in 2017. The three following showings will be on Freeform, the Disney–ABC Television Group that was previously known as ABC Family.
Thursday, October 19, at 8:50 p.m. Eastern.
Friday, October 20, at 6:20 p.m. Eastern.
Saturday, October 22, at 12:10 a.m. Eastern.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, there will also be a 24-hour marathon of the film on Freeform on Halloween day (October 31). The film is also available to stream on Amazon Prime.
Hocus Pocus tells the story of three witch sisters, Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson (played by Bette Middler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimi, respectively) who are brought back to life when a “virgin” lights the black flame candle. Said “virgin,” whose name is Max (played by actor Omri Katz) works with his little sister, Dani (Thora Birch), his new friend Allison (Vinessa Shaw), and a black cat named Binx, to end the witches’ reign.
“300 years have passed since the Sanderson sisters were executed for practicing dark witchcraft. Returning to life thanks to a combination of a spell spoken before their demise and the accidental actions of Max, the new-kid-in-town, the sisters have but one night to secure their continuing existence.”
In recent weeks, it was confirmed that a Hocus Pocus remake is in the works.
“The new movie – being written by Scarlett Lacey – is still in development, with original producer David Kirschner signed on,” People Magazine reported. The main original cast will not be a part of the remake, which is scheduled to air as a Disney Channel movie some time in the near future.
The news was met by mixed reactions, but the majority of people seem unhappy with the idea of a new film.
Disney channel is rebooting Remaking "hocus pocus" good luck finding an actor that can fill the shoes of @BetteMidler#classic#disney
Disney’s young adult television network Freeform is premiering its very first original Christmas movie, Angry Angel tonight. The movie is produced in association with Sony Pictures Television. Angry Angel will premiere November 27 at 9:00 p.m. during the network’s annual “Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas” celebration.
Angry Angelis set in New York City and follows a young woman-turned-angel named Allison Pyke (Brenda Song), who is stuck on Earth. Allison can’t seem to ring the right bells in order to get into heaven. When the love of her life, Patrick (Ricky Mabe), shows up, it complicates her journey and frustrates her mentor, Jason Biggs (Biggs himself). The situation quickly turns into a love triangle with her friend with sometimes benefits, Barker (Andy Favreau).
The movie is directed by Jamie Travis. The teleplay was written by David Iserson and it is executive produced by Richard Schwartz and Will Gluck.
Read on to meet the cast of Freeform’s first original Christmas movie.
Jason Biggs as Jason Biggs
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Jason Biggs attends the “Who We Are Now” premiere during the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival at Ryerson Theatre on September 9, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. (Getty)
Jason Biggs plays Jason Biggs in the Freeform original movie. Biggs is an American actor and comedian best known for his work as Jim Levenstein in the American Pie film series. He also starred as Larry Bloom in the Netflix original series Orange is the New Black. Though he has been active in the acting business since he was 5, Biggs first earned recognition around the world from his role in the daytime soap opera As the World Turns, for which he was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series.”
Brenda Song as Allison Pyke
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Actress Brenda Song attends Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), staging its fifth biennial fundraising telecast at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on Friday September 8, 2016 in Hollywood California. (Getty)
Brenda Song stars as the young angel Allison Pyke. Song is an American actress, model, TV and film producer and singer and spokesperson. She originally started in the entertainment business as a child fashion model, but transitioned to television in 1995. In 2002, Song signed a contract with the Disney Channel. She then starred in the Disney Channel original movie Get a Clue and went on to make more contributions to the channel. She played the lead female role of London Tipton in both The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and The Suite Life on Deck. Her character in the show was one of Disney’s longest continuous characters.
Andy Favreau as Barker
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Andy Favreau attends People’s “Ones To Watch” at NeueHouse Hollywood on October 4, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty)
Andy Favreau plays Barker in the new movie. Favreau is an actor known for his work in the 2017 show The Mick on Fox. He also played Mark Liston on TNT’s Animal Kingdom and Matthew on NBC’s Champions in 2017. The actor has been active since 2011 when he starred as Green in the thriller CheckmateM/em>.
Ricky Mabe as Patrick
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Actor Ricky Mabe speaks onstage during the ‘Gigi Does It’ panel discussion at the AMC/IFC Networks portion of the 2015 Summer TCA Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 31, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. (Getty)
Ricky Mabe stars as Patrick. Mabe is a Canadian actor who was born in Pointe-Claire, Quebec. He has been active since 1995, working as a voice actor for a Canadian television series called The Little Lulu Show. He has since worked as a voice actor for the PBS series Arthur, Caillou and Princess Sissi. More recently, Mabe worked on Gigi Does It as Ricky, a role for which he won a Golden Maple Award for “Best Actor in a TV Series broadcast in the U.S.” in 2015.
Other Cast
Andrew Bachelor as Leonard Elizabeth Bowen as Connie Julia Pastorius as Megan Devon Phillipson as young Patrick
With the holiday season upon us, it’s time to look back at favorite toys from this year! Of course, one of the top purveyors of fun would have to be Disney, and so we will delve into the wonderful world of Disney to find toys for all your gift giving needs!
With features from Moana, Frozen, Marvel’s Avengers and Mickey Mouse just to name a few, we will take a closer look at some of the most popular and best Disney toys this year. With the joy and creativity of your child’s mind, these gifts are sure to keep him/her entertained for hours and inspire confidence and imagination as life long tools.
Included on this list are multiple Disney toys to share in the fun, and inspire child and parent bonding. From building your own droid to playing make believe, these toys are often a great way to bond with your child. We have included both Disney Cinematic Universe toys, Disney Jr. toys, and Disney franchise toys to give the most well-rounded experience. Without further ado, let’s get started with our picks for the top 20 best Disney toys for Christmas 2017:
1. LEGO Disney Princess Moana’s Ocean Voyage 41150 Disney Moana Toy
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With Moana being one of the most well received Disney princesses of recent memories, you can’t go wrong with a buildable Moana lego voyage set! With legos increasingly becoming a popular toy for girls as well as the typical male audience, this is a great choice for any child who enjoyed the movie Moana. This is an awesome idea for both boys and girls who are interested in buildable toys, as well. The buildable playset has high reviews on Amazon, and it’s easy to see why! Your children can have fun playing out scenes from the movie Moana, as well as use their imaginations to write a new story. As part of a set, this toy can also be used with others of the same series to create even more adventure! This playset comes with Maui, Moana, Moana’s canoe, kakamora pirates, Te Feti, palm trees and even Heihei the rooster.
Want to see more of the best Moana toys? We’ve got that covered here.
Disney’s bid to offer a plethora of fresh new faces for the role of Princess introduces us to Elena of Avalor. This red and yellow toy purse comes with pre-punched holes to sew in your own creative design with one of the four colored yarns provided. This toy is a great idea for a fashionista or artist, and is sure to give them an outlet for their creative personality! The stickers are removable, as well as the yarn, so your child can change the purse at will any time they life! While this toy may not be suitable for all children, it is recommended for the creative fashion forward child in your life age three and up. Elena’s Stitch N Style Purse comes with one purse, four rolls of colorful yarn, a plastic sewing needle, two stitch stickers, nine metallic stickers, ten felt stickers, five felt trims and twelve shiny gems to apply for the most customization possible!
3. NEW! Disney Minnie Mouse Happy Helper 6-Volt Battery-Powered Quad Ride-On Toy for Girls with Wiping Cloth
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Prepare for the ride of your child’s life with this Minnie Mouse Happy Helper Quad! Young fans will find the adorable details of this quad endearing and reminiscent of their favorite female mouse. With detailed lace benders and Minnie Mouse decals it is sure to compete against any Roadster racer! This will be a favorite for any Happy Helper, with its light up bow bumper and pink details! This toy has a push button start, and a quick 1.5 MPH as its top speed, and can even reverse! This toy is intended for children eighteen to thirty months in age, and please keep in mind the weight limit is also forty-four pounds. This quad toy comes pre assembled, so it’s easy to charge and go, as well as with a wiping cloth to remove the dirt, as well as the 9-volt battery that is needed to use the quad.
4. Disney Pixar Cars 3 – Ultimate Florida Speedway Trackset
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Get ready for the ultimate Disney Pixar Cars 3 experience with the Ultimate Florida Speedway Trackset! This track set is five feet from end to end of thrilling race fun! Exciting for the ultimate Cars fan, this toy can’t be beat! With fun cinematic details included such as victory lane and a stage! There is also a booster built into the track to keep the cars racing at top speed, lap after lap! This toy comes with the track itself, stage area, booster, and a 1:55 scale Lightning McQueen to start the fun right away! Your child will have tons of climactic fun watching the cars move at top speed, shooting out of the booster in a blur! This toy will need four D batteries so don’t forget to pick them up! As well as being a great stand alone toy, this toy can also be connected to other playsets!
5. Disney Doc Mcstuffins Baby All in One Nursery Set
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Does your child know who to call when their babydoll has the sniffles? This Doc McStuffin’s Nursery Set is sure to help! Perfect for the medical professional in training, this toy gives your child all the tools needed to imagine their own private practice! Remember, this toy does need some assembly before your doctor or nurse in training can play with it! This toy comes with a lights and sound laptop to diagnose a patient’s needs, light and sound stethoscope to hear the heartbeat of your patient, aspirator to remove clogging water and bacteria from a patient’s nose, otoscope to inspect the ears and nose, thermometer for temperature, weighing scale for the patient, mobile above a plastic crib, height chart, and bandaid stickers! Of course, all Doc Mcstuffins My Nursery Pals dolls are compatible and this toy will need three AAA batteries before play, and is recommended for ages three and up.
6. Delta Children Cars Lightning Mcqueen Twin Bed with Lights, Disney/Pixar Cars
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For all the Cars fans, we have another top notch toy! This fun twin-sized bed is sure to let you race for the finish line in your dreams! A must have for any Disney Pixar Cars fan, this durable red plastic bed is shaped like the one and only Lightning McQueen, star of the Cars movie franchise. With clean details including true to life details racing stripes and numbers and lifelike tire and spoke detail, this bed is sure to delight the little racer in your life! The headlights can turn on as well by simply pressing the hood button up front, though the lights (which double as night lights!) go out after fifteen minutes to conserve battery life.This frame suits a sold separately twin mattress and it’s boxspring, or you can use the mattress alone. Some minor assembly required before your little racer can hop in bed!
7. Mr. Potato Head Toy Story 3 Classic Mr. Potato Head
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A new spin on a classic toy, this Toy Story 3 edition of the classic Mr. Potato Head toy brings this character to life! Encouraging creative play, your little Picasso can put a set of eyes where a nose should be, a mouth where an arm should be. The possibilities are endless! When you’re done playing with all his pieces, you can store them all in his Tater Tush to play with later! You can change him to look exactly like his movie replica, or make a fun and interesting new design just by switching out pieces! Compatible with other Mr. Potato Head accessories, this new updated potato now has even more holes for accessories! Though these parts are not easily choked on, this toy should be supervised for two and under. This toy comes with durable plastic movie modeled body, glasses, one derby hat, two ears, one pair of shoes, a set of teeth, two unique noses, eyebrows, a tongue, mustache, two eyes and two arms!
Calling Star Command, Buzz Lightyear is reporting for duty! This 12” tall Buzz Lightyear toy comes with true-to-film voices and sound effects! Press his laser button for light and laser sounds, and retract his helmet in hospitable territory! Buzz’s wings pop out for a 12” wingspan! With true to life decals, this space ranger looks exactly like the toy featured in the classic movie franchise.Your space cadet will have hours of fun playing with the articulating hand joints and compatible toys from this franchise. Pair buzz with Woody, Jessie and Bullseye for even more fun, imaginative play! With memorable and familiar quotes from the movie franchise, any Toy Story fan is sure to love this very durable toy. This toy is recommended for ages four and up as there are some smaller parts to it.Two AA Batteries are required and included, so he is ready to play right out of the box!
9. Tyco R/c Toy Story 3 Evil Dr. Porkchop Radio Control Vehicle
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What happens when pigs learn to fly? They become super villains of course! Check out this Disney Toy Story 3’s Evil Dr. Porkchop Radio Control Vehicle, inspired by the imaginative opening sequence of Toy Story 3. Relive the movie scenes, or create your own from imagination with this and other compatible Toy Story toys. With life like paint details outlining this mechanical pig’s plated parts and vents, it is exactly like the movie version seen in Toy Story 3. This RC’s remote was designed with little hands in mind, with easy to use toggle switches for toddler hands. Suggested for ages three and up, Dr. Porkchop is a great gift for the Toy Story or RC enthusiast in your life!This toy can zip around the floor quickly, ready to kidnap Rex, Woody, Buzz and Jessie (Who are all sold separately.) This product requires four AA batteries, so don’t forget them too!
This IS the droid you’re looking for! Straight out of the latest Star Wars movie, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, this toy is sure to please the young Jedi in your house! With true-to film details and durable painted film quality detail, this droid looks as if it rolled right off the set of your child’s favorite movie! Your child will have hours of fun with this 16” tall droid, BB8 has three modes- Voice commands, Follow mode, and remote mode. BB8 has over twelve unique voice commands! This hero droid can be controlled via remote, with easy to use toggle switches designed for little hands in three different positions. You can also put the droid in follow mode, and it will follow you wherever you go! The remote requires three AA batteries. With minor assembly required, this toy requires a charge before BB8 is ready to play with your little Jedi!
The force is with this toy for sure! Encourage the future engineer in your life with this build-your-own droid kit! Begin your adventure with this customized droid, and reenact scenes from your favorite Star Wars movie or create your own! Assemble your droid and place the movie worthy decals on your new friend, and get ready to enjoy the mobile-controlled R2-D2! Customise your new toy as any one of several droids, or even create your own! Your new droid can be controlled via your smartphone so you have full control over where it goes! You can also put it in self navigation mode, which will allow it to wander without colliding into objects! You can even drive your new droid using the force, propelling it along by way of hands free drive! As major assembly is part of the fun with this toy, it is not recommended for young children. This toy also requires a Lithium Ion battery, 9V battery, which are both included!
12. The Incredibles – Mr. Incredible Standard Child Costume
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With the Incredibles Two coming up, this officially licensed Disney costume is sure to help your little superhero feel like one of the Incredibles too! This costume jumpsuit will be sure to please every Incredibles fan with it’s high quality and movie accurate colors! This costume comes with a jumpsuit and attached belt, and fabric eye mask to play pretend! Fun, inventive design (with no capes!) for the little Superhero in your life, this costume comes from sizes XS (3T-4T) up to a Boy’s 7-8. Made with quality, durable materials this costume can stand up to the roughest play!This costume is one in a line of Incredibles costumes meant for the whole family, so everyone can get in on the super action! Save the day as the Incredibles, and spend time bonding with your child recreating movie scenes or making up new adventures on your own! Join your child in play time today!
The snow queen in your life will absolutely love this glimmering toy vanity set! Your little snowflake can have fun playing with Anna, Elsa or other Frozen characters in this wonderful and chilly scene from the hit movie Frozen! This toy can also be included in other play sets such as the Disney Frozen Icicle Canopy Bed Set in Elsa’s Frozen Castle. Your child will love the frosty details complete with snowflake design on chair and drawer! There are even mannequin heads to store Elsa’s jewelry on! With a plethora of pampering products, this toy also has storage shelves and drawers with which to hold all of Elsa or Anna’s frozen accessories! This toy includes all the necessities to pamper your dolls with a vanity and reflective mirror, chair, table tops,head accessories, jars, brush and two perfume bottles! This toy is recommended for ages 3 and up, 14” doll sold separately.
Do you have a little god of thunder in your house? Hold the power of Thor in your hand with this excellent movie quality Mjolnir Hammer! Inspired by the movie, this hammer is crafted and molded after the one seen in Thor: Ragnarok. The brown handle is given a leather texture, while the hammer remains a steely metal gray. This high quality toy can be used as an accessory to a costume as well. This foam hammer inspired by Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok lets your little god of thunder strike with all the force of Mjolnir! This toy will incite imaginative play, and can be used with other Marvel toys as well to battle as fan favorite heros. Complete with magical light and sound activated by swinging the mighty Thor’s hammer, your child can go to battle just as the god of thunder himself! This toy comes with batteries, and is suggested for ages four and up.
15. Disney Jr. Minnie Mouse Vintage Kitchen Play Kitchen
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The littlest Minnie Mouse fan will love this beautiful polka-dot Minnie Mouse kitchen set! Inspire the culinary creativity of your little one with this kitchen set, allowing them to play in a kitchen setting to encourage familiarity in the kitchen! Play pretend with your aspiring chef, and bond with them! Let your children adjust the time on the clock, and cook up a fun and retro meal, or teach them to clean up in the sink, which can be removed for washing! Use the telephone to call a friend! This retro kitchen comes with clock with moving hands to practice telling time! There is an ice maker to chill your drink attached to the refrigerator, a phone, curtains with bow design, and an easily removable kitchen sink with vinyl decal stove top, with stove and working, turnable knobs! This toy is a little heavy, and should be supervised with very young children.
16. Fisher-Price Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Zip, Slide and Zoom Clubhouse
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Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog it’s time for cheers for THIS amazing toy! The Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse has ample room to use your imagination! The favorite gift for any mouse enthusiast, this toy is completely interactive. Let the Mouseketeer in your life go on plenty of fun, imaginative adventures with the iconic Mickey Mouse! From recreating adventures from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, to making up their own fun adventure, nothing can beat the timelessness of this character. Your child can send Mickey down the zipline, or launch him out of the foot shaped door to race away in his car! You’ll find tons of adventure helping Micky up to the Hot Air balloon, and down the slide, to his car and zoom around! After a long day, Mickey can return to the playhouse and relax with his friends! This toy comes with one Mickey Mouse figure, classic roadster, hot air balloon, zip line, twisty slide, and a car launch!
Let your child become an honorary avenger with this figure gift set! With true-to-screen details, these characters are sure a great addition to any Marvel’s The Avengers collection. Your child can set up a battle between Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and Villains; battle Ultron or Loki, or even each other while reenacting scenes from Captain America: Civil War! Enjoy old favorites such as Captain America and Iron Man, and learn about new favorites such as Captain Marvel and Wasp, create your own stories or play out ones with a friend. With twenty fully-sculpted heroes and villains, Avengers Assemble for a whole new set of adventures! These 4” vinyl characters are licensed by the Disney Store and suggested for ages three and up. Includes Iron Man, Captain America, Winter Soldier, War Machine, Black Widow, Falcon, Black Panther, Hawkeye, Ant-Man, Ultron, Vision, Doctor Strange, Loki, Nick Fury, Thor, Captain Marvel, Thanos, Hulk, Wasp and Crossbones.
Explore the cosmos with Miles and his family! All aboard the Mission Rover, where Miles and two friends can fit in the cockpit. Press the lights on top of the rover for lights and sounds! Watch as the vehicle transforms by opening the sides to reveal the mobile space lab, complete with raising and rotating satellite and workbench! The workbench features true-to-show television stickers and clip in tool accessories which also fit in Mile’s hands! The team can listen for directions from the TTA! Your child can have imaginative fun exploring distant planets with their imagination, and reenacting scenes from the hit show Miles from Tomorrowland with this amazing rover! This toy includes the rover, robotic arms that can be laced at seven locations on the vehicle. Removable working flash beam launcher, removable working grappling claw, and one miles figure. This toy requires 6 AAA batteries that are included, and this toy is suggested for ages three and up!
Calling all PJ Mask Heros! Head to PJ Mask Headquarters for a brand new adventure! With each individual level themed after one of the three heroes from the hit PJ Mask show, there is a ton to do! Send Cat Boy up the elevator to chase down the bad guys, and down the slide when they try to escape! Shoot fireballs from the second story! When you’ve caught the villains, put them away behind bars (of wood) with the tree branch jail!This toy has lights and sounds in the control center too. Compatible with all PJ Mask 3” figures (not included) your masked hero will have tons of fun going on missions and fighting the bad guys! This toy comes with one fully poseable Cat Boy and one cat car vehicle. This toy requires three LR44 batteries, which come included. This toy is suggested for ages three and up.
20. Fisher-Price – Disney Minnie Mouse – Fabulous Shopping Mall
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Art imitates life, the saying goes, and your child can get their first taste of the old adage with this Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck Fabulous Shopping Mall. Your little one will have hours of fun imagining antics for Minnie and Daisy as they explore the tiny plastic shopping centre; the two-storey playset features several shops and shopping accessories, a revolving carousel, elevator, and revolving door. Visit the shoe shop and look for new shoes, visit the grooming salon for some pampering for Figaro, the carousel for a ride, or the hair salon for a shopping break! Be sure to check out the cafe as well for a mid-shopping break too! This toy is ideal for ages two and up. This toy comes with one 3-inch Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Figaro the cat, two floors of fun shopping adventures, a moving escalator and revolving door, shopping bags, car, and carousel.
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On Thursday the long-rumored merger between Disney and 21st Century Fox was officially finalized. Disney announced it had agreed to acquire 21st Century Fox’s film and television studios for $52.4 billion dollars, with the deal including Fox properties such as the 20th Century Fox film studio, cable networks FX, FXX and National Geographic and international networks such as Sky and Star India. The deal also includes Disney walking away with a majority stake in the streaming service Hulu. For their part, Fox not only gets a significant infusion of cash, but they also retain the rights to their news and sports programming.
Prior to making the deal, Disney was already well on it’s way to cementing and solidifying it’s massive empire. The house that the mouse built already owned the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Star Wars franchise and Pixar. Now you can add Fox’s significant treasure trove of intellectual property to the mix. Seeing as how Star Wars: The Last Jedi is set to be released on Friday and reviews have been overwhelmingly positive across the board, you could say it’s not a bad way to end the week if you’re Disney.
But what does this mean beyond just boatloads of dollars changing hands and the employee parking lot at Disney in need of a massive expansion?
1. The Marvel Cinematic Universe Could Get Even Bigger
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Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther is expected to be a major player in Marvel’s next phase
Marvel movies have been an evergreen windfall for Disney and in 2018 they’re looking to continue that success with the release of Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War. Infinity War is bringing the whole gang together and has been rumored to signify the beginning of the end when it comes to the Robert Downey Jr./Chris Evans-led era. Both stars are said to be moving on following Avengers 4, which is slated to be released in 2019. In addition to Iron Man and Captain America moving on, there is also speculation that Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk could be joining them.
Marvel is going to have to re-stock their bench. Although to be fair, doing so wouldn’t have been that hard without this merger happening. Marvel has Black Panther coming in February of 2018, as well as Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel and sequels to Ant Man and Doctor Strange in the works. They’re good. But now, thanks to this merger, they’re set.
With this merger, the Marvel Cinematic Universe can now incorporate the X-Men, Deadpool and the Fantastic Four. They could even act on Patton Oswalt’s elaborate plan for a Marvel-Star Wars crossover film that he outlined once in an episode of Parks and Recreation.
That sounds like a winner to me.
Although you have to wonder if Disney would be okay with Ryan Reynold’s R-rated portrayal of Deadpool. And man, how many failed attempts at pulling off a Fantastic Four have to happen before everyone decides to move on?
2. A New Streaming Service Joins an Already Crowded Field
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Maarten de Boer/NBCDisney would now own ‘This Is Us’ among other Fox shows
Prior to the merger Disney had already announced plans to launch its own streaming service set to compete against the likes of Netflix and Amazon. In response, Netflix’s content chief Ted Sarandos shrugged it off, saying earlier this month that “It’ll be an interesting couple of years. What Disney going direct to consumer means, I don’t really know and I’m not positive they do, either.” Oh I think they might, Ted. But the casual vibe is appreciated.
But now the looming possibility of this Disney mega-streaming service might have Sarandos changing his tune. The Disney service would be your one-stop shop for Marvel movies, anything involving Star Wars, your kid’s favorite Pixar movie, as well as beloved Disney animated films. The service would also be the place to go for old episodes of This Is Us, Modern Family, The Simpsons, The Americans, and The X Files, not to mention classics like 24, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and In Living Color.
Oh, Disney would also have 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight Pictures’ movies, meaning they’d have anything from The Planet of the Apes franchise, the wonderful world of Wes Anderson or Juno– yes, Juno! So while Netflix can play it cool now and puff their chest out behind their bevy of scripted content and comedy specials, the future could be a little dicey for them.
3. There’s So Much Room for Activities Now
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‘Avatar’
And by activities, I mean hot new content and intellectual property. In this current climate of reboots and prequels and incredibly long-awaited sequels, Disney is sitting pretty in the cat bird seat. How about a new Die Hard or why not a rebooted Die Hard starring someone like Michael B. Jordan or Miles Teller? Sure, why not? How about an updated version of The Sound of Music starring Taylor Swift? Crazy yes, but crazy enough it might work.
Say what you will about Avatar, James Cameron’s little engine that could that is also the highest-grossing movie of all time and sequels are expected to come out at some point in the near future. Those would be Disney properties now. Not bad.
This deal essentially puts Disney at the crossroads of the majority of valuable and universally-beloved intellectual property at a time when IP is possibly the world’s most valuable commodity. Let’s get working on this M*A*S*H* reboot, huh?
4. Star Wars is Finally a Family Again
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GettyThe Last Jedi director Rian Johnson
When Disney acquired Lucasfilm a few years ago, the company’s earlier films stayed behind. This is why when you watch one of the original films, it’s prefaced by the massive 20th Century Fox theme song and why that theme song was noticeably absent from the start of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Now the entire Star Wars franchise would be nestled comfortably under one roof.
This would obviously be of great benefit to future subscribers of the Disney streaming service, folks who would like nothing more than to spend an entire weekend binge-watching all eight episodes in the Star Wars franchise, plus maybe even Rogue One. Yet it’s also beneficial to Disney as they look to continue to expand the Star Wars Cinematic Universe, which began with Rogue One and continues with next year’s Han Solo.
Could a Star Wars television show be in the works, a live-action one as opposed to the cartoons already out there? It’s definitely an option now.
5. The Merger is Not Without Negatives, Though
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CEO of the Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger
For starters, it might be illegal. Or close to illegal. If it is or if it’s shady in any regard, you can expect that it’ll come out as a deal of this magnitude is going to be closely reviewed by everyone from the Federal Communications Commission to the Justice Department. The merger will most certainly be held up against the United States’ Antitrust Laws, “a collection of federal and state government laws that regulate the conduct and organization of businesses to promote fair competition for the benefit of consumers.”
One issue that may possibly prove a stumbling block at some point is the way the merger could become a hinderance creatively. The amount outlets you could go to with a project have now shrunk significantly and the leverage, already on the side of studios, would now be even more so in their corner. It does appear that Disney is mindful of such issues, especially when you look at the merger’s omission of Fox Sports. Disney already owns ESPN and gobbling up one of the network’s main competitors could be scene as a step to far.
Shani Davis, the much decorated, pioneering Olympic speedskater, may have been the inspiration behind the cartoon character “Frozone” who appears in the beloved Disney Pixar movie, The Incredibles.
Davis caused controversy when he tweeted before his 5th Olympics in Pyeongchang that the U.S. team had “dishonorably” chosen the American flag bearer through a coin toss. According to CNN, Davis and Olympian Erin Hamlin initially tied for the honor. “I am an American and when I won the 1000m in 2010 I became the first American to 2-peat in that event. @TeamUSA dishonorably tossed a coin to decide its 2018 flag bearer. No problem. I can wait until 2022. #BlackHistoryMonth2018 #PyeongChang2018,” Davis wrote on his Twitter page.
Was Frozone modeled on Shani Davis? That hasn’t been confirmed, but a lot of people have noticed the resemblance. “Davis is rumored to have inspired the character of Frozone, an African-American superhero who can create and control ice, from the Disney Pixar movie The Incredibles,” reports NBC.
On Facebook, The U.S. Embassy Belize claimed that Frozone was based on Shani Davis, writing, “In the 2004 Disney/Pixar film The Incredibles, the character Frozone was designed after Shani. Frozone is able to manipulate water molecules in the air and freeze them. Frozone – as part of the character’s back story – had attempted to represent the United States in the Winter Olympics but was rejected on account of his super abilities. It would have granted him a tremendous but unfair advantage. And super heroes never cheat.”
Shani Davis is age 35. That means that he would have been in his early 20s when the Disney movie came out. However, by 2004, he had already made the Olympic short track team in Salt Lake City and was a world champion in speedskating, according to his website biography.
Shani is the first black athlete to win an individual gold medal at a Winter Olympics, but he didn’t achieve that honor until 2006. However, the book Disney Voice Actors: A Biographical Dictionarysays that Frozone swings his arms “in an unusual manner when he skates, a move copied from the Olympic gold medalist skater Shani Davis.”
The famous actor Samuel L. Jackson voiced the character of Frozone in the Disney movie. “Inspired the character named Frozone (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) in the 2004 animated film The Incredibles,” TV Guide reports in a biography of Shani Davis.
Fans have noticed the resemblance between Frozone and Shani Davis.
The Disney website describes the plot of The Incredibles this way: “Known to the world as superheroes Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, Bob Parr and his wife Helen were among the world’s greatest crime fighters, saving lives and battling evil on a daily basis. Fifteen years later, they have been forced to adopt civilian identities and retreat to the suburbs to live “normal” lives with their three kids, Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack. Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top secret assignment.”
You can read more about Shani Davis’ biography here:
Disney and Pixar fanatics…prepare to have your mind blown.
A new mobile RPG delivers those fans the ultimate crossover. Animated and live-action film icons such as Mr. Incredible, Jack Sparrow, Wreck-It Ralph, Buzz Lightyear and more band together to save the digital city. Corrupted versions of Disney and Pixar characters are running rampant thanks to the presence of a threatening virus. And it’s up to you and your army to clear out all those errors.
This guide is set to put you on the path towards saving a troubled world, building a powerful party, and getting all the goodies you deserve! Here are the top 10 tips, tricks, and cheats you need to know for Disney Heroes: Battle Mode:
1. The Best Method Towards Finishing Campaign Battles
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PerBlue Entertainment
• Handling the more-action packed portions of Disney Heroes: Battle Mode is pretty simple – your maximum party of five fights on their own. The only thing you have to do is activate their Skills (you’ll know when it’s ready when a character’s icon starts glowing).
• The only time you should activate a character’s Skills is when you’re on the last part of a campaign battle. You’ll usually run into the toughest enemies during the final part of a mission, so that’s the perfect time to unleash your most powerful Skills. Now when you’re competing in Coliseum, Trials, Arena, and other battle themed modes, it’s best to unleash those Skills as soon as they become available. Make sure you upgrade the best Skills of your favorite characters, too. You’ll amass a ton of gold as you play, so you should have enough to accomplish that task. Also be sure to Promote your favorite heroes so you can unlock new Skills for them.
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PerBlue Entertainment, Inc
• Note that all heroes are capable of dishing out Basic Damage. But there are also heroes who can deal Fantastic Damage that’s dished out via Skills. You’ll eventually run into enemy types that are resistant to Basic Damage. Always keep a hero or two within your squad that can dish out Fantastic Damage so you won’t have any issue completing certain missions and battles at The Port.
2. Get Familiar With Each Character’s Role & Position
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PerBlue Entertainment
• There’s a bunch of different character roles you need to become familiar with – Tank, Damage, Control, and Support. Characters are usually placed in a certain position in battle according to their role. Tank heroes tend to be placed at the front of the party, while the other character roles are tied to a mixture of front, mid, and back positioning. When you put your party together before a battle, the game automatically places each character in the spot they belong in. Be mindful of their overall power level, especially when you’re heading into a tough mission.
• Check out the list posted below to see the full character list, plus their roles and battle positions:
– Mr. Incredible: Tank, Front
– Elastigirl: Damage, Mid
– Violet: Support, Mid
– Dash: Damage, Mid
– Jack-Jack: Damage, Back
– Frozone: Control, Back
– Ralph: Tank, Front
– Vanellope: Damage, Back
– Felix: Tank, Front
– Calhoun: Damage, Back
– Judy Hopps: Support, Mid
– Nick: Damage, Back
– Bogo: Tank, Front
– Yax: Support, Back
– Finnick: Control, Mid
– Woody: Support, Mid
– Buzz: Damage, Back
– Jessie: Damage, Front
– Zurg: Damage, Mid
– Sulley: Tank, Front
– Mike: Damage, Back
– WALL-E: Control, Mid
– Jack Sparrow: Damage, Front
3. Upgrade Your Heroes Through Battling, XP Drinks, Badges, and Hero Chips
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PerBlue Entertainment
• Making your heroes stronger is done via a few simple methods – putting them into battle, increasing their XP without battling via XP Drinks, promoting them to a new Hero Rank via Badges, and increasing a character’s Hero Stars value with Hero Chips. It’s easy to collect all the aforementioned items just by completing all types of missions – Campaign, Elite, and Friend Campaign. You’ll also get access to these items just by tackling all the other modes and the challenges they present to you.
• If you complete a campaign mission with a 3-star rating, you’ll unlock the option to Raid that level. You’ll need Raid Tickets to do a single raid, but you’ll need to reach VIP Level 4 in order to knock out 10 Raids at once or use all your Raid tickets on a single mission. Always check out a completed campaign mission’s loot before you decide to raid it – click on the type of loot it offers so you know if it’s worth spending a Raid ticket on. Tapping on an item will clue you in to which heroes need it and for what task they need it for. You should only spend your Raid tickets on campaign missions that gift you with the upgrade materials you really need.
4. Keep an Eye Out for Completed Quests to Upgrade Your Team Level Much Faster
• You can see what your current Team Level is just by tapping on the Quests tab. By completing Quests, you’ll acquire the Team XP needed to increase that stat. Not only does fulfilling Quests increase your Team Level, they also award you with various goodies. Stay on top of the Quests you’ve completed and which ones you need to check off the list. Once your Team Level increases, your max stamina increases and you’ll gain some extra stamina too!
5. Medals are Pretty Much Achievements
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PerBlue Entertainment, Inc
• Another main menu tab you need to check in on regularly is Medals. Medals are pretty much set up to be Disney Heroes: Battle Mode’s version of Achievements. One of the easiest ones you need to complete ASAP is giving the game a quick like on Facebook. You’ll be rewarded with 50 Diamonds, which can be put towards purchasing a whole lot of items. Completing Medals usually means you’ll walk away with extra Diamonds, Gold, and Badges.
6. Unlock Everything by Upgrading Your Team Level & Hero Friendship
• The fractured city of Disney Heroes: Battle Mode is jam packed with a bunch of locations to unlock. Completing Chapter 2, getting to a max Team Level of 41, and increasing your Hero Friendship level to five will make all of those playable modes available to you. Just tap on each of the locked locations on the main map to see what it takes to unlock it. You’ll really come to appreciate the Market, which lets you purchase and sell off Hero Badges, Hero Chips, and numerous other items.
7. Focus on Completing the Normal Campaign First, Then Take on the Elite Campaign and Friend Campaign
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PerBlue Entertainment
• Follow the Campaign structure that’s presented to you from the start – complete every chapter of the Normal Campaign. Raid the 3-star completed rating missions as much as you can to get upgrade materials. After you’re done with all the Normal Campaign missions, take your powered up party members into the Elite Campaign. These missions award you with Hero Chips, which can be used to raise each hero’s stats even higher.
• Once you unlock the Friend Campaign (which unlocks after hitting Team Level 30 and progressing a friendship level to three), complete those missions to gain Memory Disks. Your heroes and your party will reach new levels of power by the time you complete each Campaign type. You’ll need them to be as formidable as possible if you want to excel in the Arena, Coliseum, The Port, and other battle modes.
8. Hook Up With an Active Guild
• Once you reach Team Level 15, you’ll unlock the option to align yourself with a Guild. Hook up with one immediately, but make sure you’re aware of how active they really are. If they don’t seem to be doing much of anything, leave ’em, join another one, and repeat the process. An active Guild is a supremely helpful one that’ll get you all the benefits that comes with being associated with one. Simply coming back to your Guild on a daily basis means you’ll gain all types of free rewards, extra Market benefits, and access to the all the other perks of being in a Guild.
9. Check Out the Events Tab Regularly
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PerBlue Entertainment, Inc
• On the main map, there’s a calendar icon on the bottom right corner. That’s the Events tab, which makes you aware of all the timed opportunities occurring in the game. Those Events are usually tied to special store deals and certain challenges you need to complete in order to gain new goodies. By the way, be sure to log-in at certain times of the day/evening.
• For example, you’ll get a free Stamina Boost and be able to buy new items if you hop into the game between 9pm and 11pm. Checking into the game at 12pm, 6pm, and/or 9pm can get you all those good benefits!
10. Your First Seven Days Spent With the Game are Plentiful…
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PerBlue Entertainment
• Make sure you show some love to Disney Heroes: Battle Mode and it’ll show that same appreciation towards you. The best way to do that is by playing the game for seven days straight. That way, you’ll be gifted with a bunch of helpful items that’ll speed up your party progression efforts. You’ll also get a single reward for your daily log-in for 13 consecutive days (even more rewards come your way at the beginning of each month!).
• The other types of goodies you need to be aware of are Crates. Gold and Diamond Crates can be opened for free after a certain time limit’s been reached, while Guild Crates require you to be in a Guild to unlock. You need to reach VIP Level 11 in order to claim VIP Crates. You’ll have a certain amount of daily chances allotted to you in order to crack open both Gold and Diamond Crates.
• If you have enough of a certain currency type, spend it on a few Crate types. Sometimes, that method is preferable over waiting for new Gold and Diamond Crates to become available. Plus you’ll increase the odds of getting the best types of items you require.
John Lasseter is the chief creative consultant for both Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Feature Animation. He has held this position since 2006, and has been directly involved in the creation of such hit films as Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, and the Cars franchise.
According to Variety, however, Lasseter will not hold the position for much longer. In the wake of sexual harassment allegations and “unwanted hugging” from his female employees, Lasseter has announced that he will be stepping down as Disney’s chief creative consultant after 2018. “The last six months have provided an opportunity to reflect on my life, career and personal priorities”, he said in a statement, “While I remain dedicated to the art of animation and inspired by the creative talent at Pixar and Disney, I have decided the end of this year is the right time to begin focusing on new creative challenges.”
Here’s what you need to know about John Lasseter’s net worth and how it will be affected by his leaving Disney:
1. He Has an Estimated Net Worth of $100 Million
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Lasseter has an estimated net worth of $100 million. He has amassed this number through a combination of merchandising, designing, and producing films for both Disney and Pixar. Lasseter was originally hired by Disney in the 1980s, where he worked as an animator on films like 101 Dalmations, Tron, and The Great Mouse Detective.
Lasseter and his colleagues began experimenting with computer-generated imagery during this time, but Lasseter’s enthusiasm unwittingly ruffled the feathers of some of Disney’s senior animators.
As Lasseter recalled in the book To Infinity and Beyond!: The Story of Pixar Animation Studios, administrator Ed Hansen told him, “Well, John, your project is now complete, so your employment with the Disney Studios is now terminated.” A financially-strapped Lasseter was forced to turn towards Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Group, a studio that spent most of the ’80s experimenting with CGI.
The company was eventually sold to Steve Jobs and renamed Pixar Studios, and their first animated feature was 1995’s Toy Story. Lasseter co-animated and directed the film, which would go on to become a groundbreaking release, as well as a critical and commercial success.
For his work, Lasseter was given a Special Achievement Academy Award, which recognizes achievements that make an exceptional contribution to the motion picture for which it was created.
2. Disney Paid an Estimated $6 Billion for Lasseter’s Talents in 2006
Disney confused some moviegoers when they agreed to pay $7.7 billion in stock for Pixar Animation Studios. After all they already owned the bulk of Pixar’s film catalogue, and the right to use their characters at Disney theme parks. Why then, would they pay such a significant amount to obtain the rest? The answer, according to a Slate article entitled “The $6 billion man”, was John Lasseter.
Slate reports that Disney expected to recoup an estimated $1.7 billion from Pixar’s merchandising and future home video sales. This means that spent an estimated $6 billion on acquiring Lasseter after firing him decades earlier. The Pixar guru was so important to the deal, in fact, that Disney specificed they would be able to pull out of the acquisition if Lasseter did not agree to provide his services.
Shortly after the deal went through, Lasseter was named the principle creative advisor at Walt Disney Imagineering, which meant he would design for the company’s various theme parks. Lasseter’s contract prior to the merger included a $5 million signing bonus, a $2.5 million annual salary and one million stock options in Pixar Studios.
The Wall Street Journal reports that after the merger, however, he sold about 880,000 of the options at various prices before converting the remaining shares to Disney shares. This enabled him to bolster his profits as, subsequent Pixar/Disney releases would go on to even greater success than Toy Story or A Bug’s Life.
3. He’s Donated Millions of Dollars to Charity Foundations
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John Lasseter speaks at a benefit.
Lasseter’s son Sam was diagnosed with diabetes at a young age. “It’s something that no parent ever wants to hear,” he told Diabetes Health. “To hear that your son or daughter has a life-threatening, lifelong disease—news like that just shakes your world.” After learning of his son’s condition, Lasseter dedicated her free time to learning more about the disease.
“I wanted to know the whole history of diabetes,” he recalled. “I wanted some perspective on how far we have to go to find a cure. Looking at Sam, who was so scared—as a parent, it just rips your heart out. That feeling, that moment, I still haven’t been able to shake it. One of the things you go through is to think, ‘Man! If there’s a way I can do anything so this doesn’t happen to other families in the future, then I’m there! Just show me what I can do!’
Lasseter and his wife Nancy has since gone to raise thousands of dollars for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. In May 2003, they organized a $500-a-seat dinner and auction at Pixar Studios that included a sneak peek at the Lasseter-produced film Finding Nemo. The dinner would go on raise almost one million dollars.
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John and Nancy Lasseter at the Premiere of “Cars 3”
Lasseter also participated in 2011’s Stand Up to Cancer dinner, where he and fellow celebrities George Lucas, Aziz Ansari, Emma Stone, and Samuel L. Jackson helped raise money for cancer research.
When asked about the importance of helping those less fortunate, Lasseter told City Congregation: “I believe in the nobility of entertaining people and I take great, great pride that people are willing to give me two or three hours of their busy lives… It’s a wonderful community, the people who are working for a cure for diabetes.”
4. His Films Have Grossed Over $11 Billion Worldwide
Lasseter’s biggest source of income has always been his films. He’s single-handedly kept Disney Animation relevant over the last decade, and been the face of Pixar Studios over the last two. The five films he’s directed– Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Cars, and Cars 2— have grossed over $2.2 billion, and are continuing to spawn sequels in the modern day. In addition to his films, he’s been an executive producer on every other Pixar release, which have tallied up an estimated $8 billion worldwide.
Lasseter has also been credited with reviving the popularity of Disney Animation, as he’s been involved in massive hits like Tangled, Inside Out, Moana, and Frozen, which is the highest-grossing animated film of all time and the ninth highest-grossing film overall. When asked about the secret to his success, Lasseter told The Yorkshire Post that it was all about telling quality stories. “At Pixar, we do sequels only when we come up with a great idea”, he said, “And we always strive to be different from the original. Sometimes it seems that the entertainment industry looks at the box office and often just the opening weekend as the only measure of success.”
Despite his recent announcement, Lasseter will still be credited as an executive producer on the upcoming Incredibles 2, Wreck-It-Ralph 2, and Frozen 2. Lasseter’s input is so important to Pixar, in fact, that his absence already has people nervous about the studio’s future.”Those founder-type creative individuals are very hard to replace,” says analyst Robin Diedrich. “I would say his contribution has been pretty instrumental in creating a creative environment, which is what you need at a studio or content company.”
5. He Runs a Winery in Sonoma Valley, California
While he will no longer be collecting paychecks from Disney or Pixar come 2019, Lasseter does have business ventures on the side that will support him and his family. The most notable is the Lasseter Family Winery, which he runs with his wife Nancy in Sonoma Valley, California. The Lasseter Family Winery has been around since 2002, and has built a reputation for being an eco-friendly and affordable for customers.
Phil Coturri, a famed organic viticulturalist, praised the Lasseters in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, saying “I love that a family with values like the Lasseters bought back a corporate winery. They are interested in quality and tradition, not just the bottom line. Oenologist Julia Iantosca supports Coturri’s claim, telling THR that “the Lasseters want to make blends. This is brave because the conventional wisdom is to make single varietals.”
Lasseter has spoken fondly of the wine-making lifestyle, saying that it brings him peace. “What I mostly love about this life is the balance it brings,” he says. “I love being this close to agriculture — it’s very grounding. The people are too. I love the Sonoma wine community. It’s like Pixar — nothing competitive, only supportive. They’re always rooting for you.”
— Disney•Pixar's Incredibles 2 (@TheIncredibles) June 14, 2018
The Incredibles 2 has hit theaters, bringing the exploits of the Parr family back to the big screen in the long-awaited sequel. The genius of The Incredibles franchise was how it appealed to both children and the adults they would normally grudgingly drag along to an animated feature.
However, does The Incredibles 2 have an after credits scene? The answer is no. Unfortunately there is not an end credits scene in The Incredibles 2. There is a reason to stick around, though. Three characters – Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone – have theme songs that play once the credits start.
The lack of an end credits scene in The Incredibles 2 is a disappointment to some fans because such scenes have appeared in other movies with more frequency – and especially superhero movies. The concept of an end credits surprise at the end of movies was mostly popularized by the Marvel franchise. The Incredibles 2 is an animated superhero movie, of course, so maybe that made all the difference, but it seems like the sequel missed a chance to send up another spoof. End credits scenes sometimes are used to set up sequels. It’s not yet clear whether there will be an Incredibles 3, but the reviews for the second movie, which came out on June 14, 2018, are good so far (95 percent positive on its first day from the review site Rotten Tomatoes.)
Warning: Don’t keep reading if you want to avoid spoilers.
Bob Parr, Super Dad
The Disney Pixar sequel’s plot is a Daddy Daycare style movie at heart; it revolves around the family patriarch, Bob Parr, staying at home to watch the couple’s son, Jack-Jack, and two other children while his wife, Helen (Elastigirl), is busy doing what superheroes do. Craig T. Nelson is the voice of Bob Parr; Helen Parr is voiced by the raspy voiced Holly Hunter. It turns out that Helen has, as daughter Violet puts it, a “new job.” She’s doing it all for the greater good and her family; she’s trying to make superheroes legal. You can watch the trailer for The Incredibles 2 above.
“I’ll watch the kids, no problem,” Bob says. Of course, The Incredibles movies have always worked because in so many ways the family is exactly like all of us. They have the problems of a typical family (Bob can’t figure out his kid’s math homework, for example), and they have the love within many families, and they are exactly like us even when they actually are not like us at all. That and the witty dialogue drove people to the first movie, which came out about 14 years ago.
“Hi Honey, how are the kids?” Helen asks. “Everything’s great,” Bob replies, as everything’s falling apart. It’s a lot harder to be dad to a baby when he has some crazy powerful super powers you haven’t quite appreciated yet. Then again, haven’t all parents felt that way at times.
Some other recent movies also have not had end credits scenes. Solo: A Star Wars Storydidn’t, for example. Deadpool 2 did have end credits scenes. There was no post-credit sequence for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. You also did not get an end credits scene in the Wonderwoman blockbuster. Thus, the trend hasn’t spread to all big Hollywood productions. At least not yet.
Square Enix and Disney first entered into their amazing partnership in 2002 with the launch of Kingdom Hearts.
At the time, the intense fandom that circulated around the Final Fantasy and Disney franchises combined to make the action RPG a smashing success. Since then, the series has given fans one direct sequel, a host of spinoffs, and current-gen compilations.
A direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts II (which released all the way back in 2005) finally saw its grand debut at E3 2013. The wait for Kingdom Hearts III has been pure torture for diehard fans, but it’s finally coming to an end in 2019. Sora, Goofy, and Donald’s fight against the Heartless will continue once more.
It’s time we offered you an extensive preview of everything that’ll be arriving in Kingdom Hearts III.
Kingdom Hearts III Release Date
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Square Enix
Kingdom Hearts III is finally scheduled for release on January 29, 2019.
Kingdom Hearts III Reveal Trailer
Kingdom Hearts III Platforms
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Square Enix
Kingdom Hearts III will only be playable on two platforms – PS4 and Xbox One.
Story
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Square Enix
Kingdom Hearts’ wide-reaching plotline is considered a bit confusing. Before we offer a breakdown of Kingdom Hearts III’s story, here’s a quick breakdown of the series’ chronology – Back Cover, Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross], Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, A Fragmentary Passage, Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts Coded, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, and Kingdom Hearts III.
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Square Enix
Kingdom Hearts III has been set up as the final chapter of the “Dark Seeker/Master Xenahort” saga. Sora, Goofy, and Donald’s journey will focus on their search for the seven guardians of light and the “Key to Return Hearts.” Riku and King Mickey are also on a mission of their own as they seek out previous Keyblade wielders who’re capable of putting a stop to Xenahort’s evil plan. Xenahort is attempting to balance the light and darkness, which is known to do more harm than good. Kingdom Hearts III will have a lengthy tale – players should expect to indulge in 40-50 hours of story content. The game’s full slate of content will take 80+ hours to fully experience.
Worlds & Characters
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Square Enix
One of the more attractive features of Kingdom Hearts is the way it implements popular Disney films into explorable worlds. Kingdom Hearts III will feature a varied amount of brand new worlds – Kingdom of Corona (Tangled), San Fransokyo (Big Hero 6), Toy Box (Toy Story), Monstropolis (Monsters, Inc.), and Arendelle (Frozen).
As for which original and Disney worlds are coming back to Kingdom Hearts III, you can look forward to returning to Twilight Town, Yen Sid’s Mysterious Tower, The Realm of Darkness, Olympus (Hercules), and The Caribbean (Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End). The game’s Classic Kingdom will implement classic Walt Disney Productions Mickey Mouse cartoons, such as Giantland, The Karnival Kid, Musical Farmer, and The Barnyard Battle.
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Square Enix
Kingdom Hearts III will feature a wide roster of characters who originated in the series and personalities from Disney/Pixar movies. As mentioned before, Sora will be joined on his adventure by Goofy and Donald while Riku and Mickey Mouse set off on their own mission. Some of the other supporting cast mates you can look forward to seeing again are Master Eraqus, Aqua, Lea, Ienzo, Hayner, Pence, and Olette.
As for returning baddies, that list includes Master Xehanort and his many forms (his Heartless Ansem, his Nobody Xemnas, and Young Xehanort) and members of Organization XIII (Marluxia, Xigbar, Larxene, Luxord, and Vanitas). On the Disney/Pixar side of things, a bunch of familiar faces will be popping up. Two of Kingdom Hearts’ most notable antagonists, Maleficent and Pete, will make their return. As for Remy from Ratatouille, he’ll accompany Sora during a special cooking minigame.
Gameplay Mechanics
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Square Enix
Kingdom Hearts III will retain the battle and movement mechanics seen in previous entries, more specifically Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. The active battle system will once again feature Sora, Goofy, and Donald as they face off with the Heartless, Nobodies, Unversed, and giant bosses. Sora still holds onto his spot as the main playable character within his party.
Another playable character is reported to be featured in the game, but his/her actual identity hasn’t been revealed as of yet. In a fun twist on the three-person party formula, Sora, Goofy, and Donald can now be joined by two additional characters during exploration and battle.
Sora’s main methods of attack includes landing strikes with his current Keyblade, using magic, activating character summons, getting assists from Disney theme park attractions, and utilizing other special abilities. Team-up attacks and the “Shotlock” system also make their return. Each of Sora’s Keyblades have two separate forms – once that second form is activated, Sora’s given access to new offensive/defensive options and his current outfit may change.
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Square Enix
A Keyblade transformation is accomplished once you pull off enough combos and activate a mechanic similar to the “Situation Command” system. Keyblade “Drive Forms” also make their return. Three of the newest Drive Forms are Sora’s “Guardian Form” (which transforms his Keyblade into a shield), “Power Form,” and “Second Form” (a transformation that lets Sora sport an outfit similar to the one seen in Kingdom Hearts II). Another new mechanic that focuses on Keyblades is the ability to quickly switch between them at the touch of a button. Sora can now equip up to three Keyblades at once.
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Square Enix
It’s possible to maneuver around the environment in a variety of ways (such as running up specially marked walls) thanks to the “Athletic Flow” system. This mechanic is quite similar to the “Flowmotion” movement mechanic seen in previous series entries. Character summons (now known as “Links”) let you bring in another character who’s capable of powerful attacks.
Some of the Links featured in the game include Ariel, Wreck-It Ralph, Simba, and Meow Wow. The theme park attraction summons (“Attraction Flow”) can be put to good use against regular foes and much larger threats. A few of the attractions you can use are Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Grizzly River Run, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Mad Tea Party, a pirate ship, and a carousel.
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Square Enix
Each world you’ll travel to will introduce new styles of gameplay. For instance, 1st-person mech combat is implemented within the Toy Story world. Plus you’ll be able to participate in naval, underwater, and aerial combat situations within the Pirates of the Caribbean world. A total of 20 different minigames modeled after 1980s LCD games will be available for play within the Classic Kingdom. In order to discover each world, you’ll need to hop into your custom Gummi Ship for separate exploration and combat sessions.
Trailers
Pre-Order
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Square Enix Store
The Standard Edition of Kingdom Hearts III is available for pre-order both physically and digitally. Pre-ordering any edition of the game from GameStop will get you an exclusive fabric poster. If you’re looking for a special edition of Kingdom Hearts III, the official Square Enix store has two Deluxe Editions of the game up for sale.
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Square Enix Store
The first Deluxe Edition comes with a physical copy of the game, a SteelBook case, a collectible art book, and a collectible pin. The second Deluxe Edition comes with all the aforementioned bonuses, plus three “Bring Arts” figurines of Sora, Goofy, and Donald.
